Knockdown chicken coop



May 15, 1 9 53. masws W. L. BUTCHER KNOGKDOWN CHICKEN COOP Filed May 18, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwewtoz May 15, 1923. 11,455,1105

w. L. BUTCHER KNOCKDOWN CHICKEN COOP Filed May 18, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WQL. E re/MW May 15, 1923. msmw W. I... BUTCHER KNOCKDOWN CHICKEN COOP Filed May 18, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 L. BUTCHER KNOCKDOWN CHICKEN COOP vMag, 15, 1923.

Filed May 18, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 15, 1923. l I

STATES WILLIAM L. BUTCHER, 0F BRINGH URST, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 01E ONE-HALF 'I'O WILLIAM H. HARMON,

OF CUTLER, INDIANA.

KNOCKDOWN CHICKEN COOP.

I Application filed May 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. BUTCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bringhurst, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Chicken Coops; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved chicken coo and' will be used while rearing young chic ens. This coop is formed of sheet metal having portions thereof connected by slide joints so that the coop can be taken a art and put away when not in use. It inc udes a housing and a yard portion so that the small chickens can be kept in the house at night and during rainy weather, the housing having at one end asmall door so that the chickens can pass from the housing to the yard ortion of the coop and at its opposite en the housing being provided with a larger door so that a hen may be placed in the housing. By having this coop formed ofsheet metal, rats and other similar animals which destroy poultry will be prevented from obtaining access to the interior of the housing. It should be further noted that the housing can be well ventilated and thus prevented from becoming too hot. It is further desired to provide a '000 which is so constructed that a feed troug may be provided in connection with an end wall for the yard or runway of the coop and thus permit the small chickens to have feed before them at all times. It is further desired to permit an attachment to be ut in place in connection with the front wail so that when desired, the device may be used as a trap and prevent rats which may pass through the doorways from leaving the housing. It is also desired to so construct this coop that the floor of the housing may be extended beyond the front wall or end of the housing and form a platform carrying the movable side and end wall forming strips and thus forming the yard or runway. It is further desired to so construct this coop that it will be light anddurable and 1922. serial No. names.

cannot accidentally come apart.

This improved coop is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coo looking at the rear end and one side thereof.

Figure 2. is a perspective view showing portions of the coop assembled and other portions ready to be put in place.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the walls of the yard put in place and the housing provided with a front wall already in place and a rear wall about to be put in place.

Figure 4 is a view showing the coop in rear elevation.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the coop taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the metal plates forming a roof section.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the ridge strip of the roof.

Figure 8 is a perspective view looking at the coop from the forward end and showing an end wall carrying a feed box and about to be put in place in connection with the sid walls of the yard.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the feed box carrying wall strip in place. igure 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is a lperspective view of the feed box carrying wa 1 box removed.

Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the trapping device applied to the housing.

Figure 13 is a perspective view looking at the trap-forming appliance from the inner face thereof.

Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the trapping element removed from the carrying plate.

Fi re 15 is a sectional view taken along the line 15-15 of Fig. 13.

Figure 16 is a sectional view taken along the line 16-16 of Fig. 15.

This chicken coop lncludes a housing and a yard or runway and is formed of sections which are provided with slide joints so that the various sections can he slid into engagement with each other and securely held in engagement with the sides of the bottom or flooring by having the flanges 2 placed in engagement with the flanges 3 and the walls then moved longitudinally of the flooring into the position desired. These walls will be provided with ventilating openings 5 and one or both of them may be provided with a larger ventilating'opening or window 6 having flanges 7 extending along its upper and lower edges so that a closure 8 which is provided with inturned flanges may be held in place and moved into and out of the closing position. Outwardly extending flanges 9 are provided along the upper edges of the side walls and inturned flanges 10 are provided at the forward and rear ends of these side walls, these flanges 10 having their free edges terminating close to but in spaced relation to abutment strips 11 which are formed from separate strips and secured to the inner faces of the side walls by rivets or other suitable fasteners. The forward and rear walls 12 and 13 are also formed of sheet metal and each will be provided with outwardly extending side flang 1- for engaging the flanges 10 of the side walls. The front and rear walls can therefore he slid into position as shown in Fig. 3 with their flanges 14 engaging the flanges 10 and will be held against moving inwardly out of engagement with these flanges 1!) by the abutment strips 11. The upper end portions of the walls 12 and 13 are tapered and provided with outstanding flanges 15 for engaging the inturned end flanges 16 of the roof sections 17. These roof sections 17 will be slid upwardly into place and will have their lower flanges 18 interlocking with the outstanding flanges 9 at the upper edges of the side walls.

' Therefore tight joints will be provided between the roof and the side walls and end walls and the roof will be held in place and rain water prevented from working in between the roof and side walls. These roof sections have their upper side edges terminating in slight spaced relation and provided with outstanding flanges 19 for engagement with the inturned side flanges 20 of the ridge strip 21. This ridge strip serves to prevent the roof sections from slipping downwardly out of place and further serves to prevent rain water from passing between the roof sections. It should be noted however that protected openings will be provided at the ends of the roof so that air within the housing may pass out of the same and thus assist in preventing the interior of the housing from becoming m'crheated.

The front and rear walls are provided with ventilating openings as shown at 22 and 23 and each of these walls is provided with a doorway 24 having outwardly extending side flanges 25 so that a door 26 may be slida-bly mounted for vertical movement into and out of a closing position. It will be noted that the door of the front wall is relatively small so that only small chickens can pass through it, whereas the door of the rear wall is large enough to permit a full grown hen to be passed into the housing. By having this housing formed as shown and described, there will be provided a strong and durable house which will be firmly held in a set-up position and which at the same time may be readily taken apart when it is desired to thoroughly clean it or when it is desired to put it away for future use. When taken apart, the difl'erent parts may be piled in a flat mass where they will take up a small amount of space.

The front yard which provides a runway for the small chickens is provided with a flooring which forms a continuation of the floor 1. The side walls 27 of this yard or runway are provided at their lower edges with inturned flanges 28 to engage with the dependin flanges 2-of the flooring 1 and each of t em carries upon its inner face a strip 29 which extends in overlying relation to the floor as shown in Fig. 8 so that the walls 27 will be prevented from moving vertically out of engagement with the flooring. Inturned hooks or flanges 30 are provided at the outer ends of the walls 27 for, engaging the end flanges 31 of a wall section 32 and thus provide a good connection between the side walls 27 and the end wall 32. Cleats or strips 33 similar to the strips 11 and 29 are provided upon the inner faces of the wall sections 27 so that the end wall 32 will be prevented from moving inwardly out of engagement with the flanges 30. It will thus be seen that this yard will be provided with side and end walls which will be firmly held in place but can be easily removed when desired. In Figs. 8 through 11. there has been shown a wall 32 provided with openings 34 so that small chickens within the yard or runway may'have access to a feed box 35 projecting from the outer,

face of this wall. The cover 36 is removable so that the feed box can be cleaned and fresh feed put in place and this cover has its inner side portion suspended upon hooks 37 so that the cover may be positioned as shown in Fig. 10 with its depending flanges extending in overlapping relation to the walls of the feed box and inner side portions adjacent the wall 32' out of engagement with the feed box to permit of ventilation. It should be noted that this cover slopes so that rain will flow ofi of it and not tend to pass down into the feed box.

In addition to being used as a chicken coop, this structure may also be used as a trap for catching rats and other animals which destroy poultry. In order to convert the structure into a trap, there has been provided a closure plate which will take the place of the closure plate or door for the rear wall. This closure plate 38 is provided with-a cutout forming a passageway and a lo closure 39 is pivotally connected with the plate 38 so that when desired, it can be swung downwardlyin front of the passageway. The trapping device 40 is in the form of a frame havin at its outer end flanges 41 for engaging the outer face of the plate 38 so that thls trapping frame which may be termed a guard may be slid into place with the portions of the plate 38 at opposite sides of the passageway 38 extending between the side flanges 41 and the abutment strips 42 secured against the sidewalls of the bafiie frame 40. This guard frame 40 has its side Walls sloping upwardly so that the, inner end is positioned above the flooring 1 of the housing and is provided with a cross-strip 43 so that the tilting gangway or platform 44 will be limited in its tilting movement in one direction and further the side. walls of the frame 40 prevented from spreading. This platform or gangway 44 extends longitudinally of the guard frame 40 and is provided with side ears 45 engaged by a pivot pin 46 so that the gangway may normally remain in the position shown in Fig. 15 but tilts to permit the rats or other animals to pass into the housing. After the rat has passed into the housing, the gangway returns to the position shown in Fig. 15 and the strip 43 wili'serve to prevent the rats from swinging the gangway upwardly and passing out beneath the outer end portion thereof. Openings 47 are provided in the upper wall of this guard 40 so that light may pass into the same and the rats caused to more readily pass into the housing through the guarded entrance. There has thus been provided a chicken'coop which is so constructed that if desired it may be readily converted into a rat trap.

I claim:

1. A structure of the character described comprisin a flooring having depending side flanges, side walls having their lower edges provided with inner flanges for engaging the depending flanges of the flooringwhen the walls are slid into engagement with the flooring, said walls having upper flangesextending outwardl and having end flanges extending inward abutment strips secured against the inner faces of the side walls adj acent the end flanges, end walls having outstanding side flanges engaging the end flanges of the side walls. said abutment strip having engagement with the inner faces of the end walls to hold the end walls against inward movement and engaging the flooring to hold the flooring against upward movement, and a roof carried by the end walls and having engagement with the .upper flanges of the side walls.

- 2. The structure of claim 1 having the endwalls provided with tapered upper end portions having outwardly extending flanges, the roof having side sections provided with inturned end flanges engaging the upper flanges of the end walls and having internal lower flanges engaging the upper flanges of the side walls, and a ridge strip carried by the upper portions of the roof sections.

3. A structure of, the character described comprising a housin having side walls provided with inturne flanges at their ends and lower side and outturned flanges along their upper sides, abutment strips secured against the inner faces of the side walls adjacent the free ends of the end flanges, a flooring, front and rear walls having outwardly extending side flanges engaging the end flanges of the side walls and having thei upper portions tapered and provided with outwardly extending flanges, the abutment strips engaging the inner faces of the end walls to hold the end walls against inward movement out of engagement with the flanges of the side walls, a bottom positioned between the side walls and beneath the end walls and having depending flanges engaging the inturned flanges at the lower edges of the side walls, roof sections having inturned end flanges engaging the upper flanges of the end walls and having inturned lower side flanges engaging the upper side flanges of the side walls, the upper sides of the roof sections terminating in spaced relation and having outturned flanges, and a ridge strip havin inturned side flanges engagin the upper flanges of the roof sections.

4. 1% structure of the character described comprising a flooring, side walls having slide joint connections with the flooring, front and rear walls having slide joint connections with the side walls, said flooring being extended beyond the front wall to provide a platform extension having flanges at its sides, wall strips for the platform having their lower sides provided with flanges slid longitudinally into engagement with the flanges of the platform, inwardly extending flanges at the outer ends of the wall strips, abutments adjacent the end flanges, and an end wall strip having end flanges engaging the end flanges of the wall strips and held "against inward movement by said abutments.

5. A structure of the character described comprising a housing having front, rear and side walls and a bottom extending beyond the front side walls having their lower edges releasably connected with the side portions of said wall and providing a platform,

platform, a front wall releasably connected with the forward ends of the side walls, a feed box extending from the outer face of the front wall, and a removable cover for the,- feed box. the front wall forming a wall for the feed box and having openings communicating with the box.

6. The structure of claim 5 having the feed box terminating short of the upper 10 edge of the front wall, and hook elements carried by the front wall above the feed box for engaging the cover of the feed box and supporting the cover with its inner side ortion raised to admit air and light to the eed box, the cover having depending flanges engaging the ends and outer side of the feed box to hold the cover in lace.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM L. BUTCHER. 

